Pain or discomfort in the ear A feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear Ringing in the ear (tinnitus) A change in hearing, almost as if you are submerged in water and sounds are muffled In severe cases, hearing loss, bleeding and vomiting
You can also help yourself swallow by chewing gum, sucking on candy, or nursing a drink, all of which will keep you swallowing.
Do not blow too hard when you attempt this. If you blow too hard, the maneuver is quite painful, and has the potential to actually damage your ear drums. Blow just hard enough to gently pop your ears. Repeat the maneuver several times, especially during takeoff or descent while traveling by plane.
Filtered earplugs are available at drugstores and in airport shops. [3] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source While they’re not guaranteed to be effective, they can help minimize ear popping while you travel.
Take a decongestant, such as Sudafed, every six hours and continue for 24 hours after you land to shrink membranes in the sinus and ear. Follow the precautions on the label. [4] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source You can use a pediatric-strength nasal spray as directed on the packaging. The child-strength formula will help open your Eustachian tubes without giving you a stronger dose of medication than you need. Do not take decongestants before or during diving. The body metabolizes decongestants differently while underwater, so taking them before diving is considered risky. If your congestion is quite bad, you might want to reconsider your travel or diving plans and reschedule for when you’re feeling better, especially if you’ve had severe barotrauma in the past. [5] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source
Keep her occupied so she doesn’t end up falling asleep right when the cabin pressure changes. Try people watching, or read a book together. Be sure that you prepare a young child for the loud sounds and bumpy process of takeoff and landing, so that she does not become frightened. While you can’t warn a young baby, you can try other methods of comfort, smiling and saying soothing words to let her know everything is alright.
Nursing works great for young babies if you breastfeed. If not, try a pacifier or bottle. An older kid can drink through a sippy cup or a straw, or suck on a lollipop. The key is to get him to actively suck and swallow, so if he is old enough, teach him how to consciously do this in advance so that you can prompt him when it is time.
Yawning opens the Eustachian tubes in your child’s ears, so that the pressure that has built up will equalize with the rest of the cabin.
Young children generally should not be given decongestants, so if your child has a stuffy nose or sinus infection, it might be a good idea to reschedule your flight to avoid severe barotrauma. Plus, you can avoid exposing other passengers to the illness. If your child has flown before and did not exhibit signs of extreme discomfort, its not necessary to reschedule your flight.
While this is a rather extreme measure, if your child seems to be especially sensitive to popping ears, this may be the right solution.
Even if the pressure doesn’t equalize right away, after an hour or two your ears should feel normal again. In the meantime, yawning and swallowing can help you feel better faster. Some people take a few days for pressure to equalize in their ears, during which time hearing can be muffled, although this is rather rare.
Discomfort or pain that persists for several hours Severe pain Bleeding from the ears Hearing loss that doesn’t go away
In the meantime, do not fly, dive, or perform any other activity that requires you to gain or lose significant altitude. If your ears pop again further injury could occur.
